Blessings
by Ray Lou
Summary: (high school AU prompt for Kat) When Jack transfers to Jamie's school, Jamie's life takes a cliche turn and after a little drama they start dating. Being boyfriends, they make out - a lot. A short story from their first meeting to the first time they get caught making out by Mrs. Bennett.


Jamie was one of those boys who cracked jokes with his friends about how he was never going to find someone to love. He'd snicker as they ate their lunches on the senior lawn about how they would visit his house one day and he'd answer with half a dozen cats clinging to his old-man pajamas. They'd reassure him that he would find someone – Pippa at least – and Monty would suggest the best cat breeds to make up for Jamie's lack of love.

Then Jack transferred to their school and both Pippa and Monty's responses to Jamie's poor confidence changed. Pippa befriended Jack in her first period sociology class and invited him to lunch. The first lunch Jack had with them was silent on Jamie's part. He was too busy trying to swallow down his food without choking every time Jack smiled, laughed, or looked his way. Jamie was a bit upset with Pippa; she should've known how much Jamie hated to hang out with attractive people. Not that Pippa and Monty weren't, but they weren't the type of beautiful Jack was.

Jack was the type of beautiful that everyone was attracted to. Not always sexually, but platonically. How was it that he looked like a photoshopped model without the fakeness? His smooth skin looked natural, even with how pale it was. He was the whitest kid in the school – no doubt – but instead of making him look spectral and creepy, it gave him a slight glow under the sun. Like Edward Cullen sans the extreme sparkles. Jamie found it hypnotizing, so he snuck glances when Jack was distracted by the antics of other cliques. Especially the cheerleaders.

He probably was straight with the attention he gave the girls in the tiny skirts and flawless legs (despite the obvious fact the flawlessness was due to sheer tights).

Pippa knew Jamie's type was ethereal and nothing like jocks or cute nerds. She knew Jamie's type was Jack. She told Jack about Jamie's art, calling him the next big thing in pop culture. "What's your art style?" Jack had asked and as much as Jamie hated that question (he didn't have _an_ art style he had _his_ art style) he wasn't bothered. He didn't answer; Jack's endless blue eyes held his lips captive.

Monty popped in and described Jamie's style as "manga and cartoon with a touch of realism" which wasn't a bad description. He then talked about how difficult the AP Art class was and how Jamie had a high "A" in the class _and_ a high B in AP Calculus which was one of the hardest classes on campus.

Pippa pitched in how dedicated Jamie was to his schoolwork and his social life (lies and lies) and Jack nodded as he listened, smiling distantly. Jamie's friends might have been trying to help, but it looked like they had scared Jack away.

Lunch ended and the four split up. Jamie watched Jack leave. A jock jogged to him and clapped a hand on his shoulder. Jack looked up at him and laughed, grinning and slapping the back of the jock's shoulder. Someone bumped into Jamie, likewise bumping him out of his trance and disappointment, and he left.

For the rest of the week Jack ate with them. Jamie had expected him to go to the jocks or the cheerleaders where he definitely fit in. He was pleasantly surprised that despite Jack's constant checking out the cheerleaders, the new kid spent his time with them. He even tried to talk to Jamie, smiling so kindly with both his eyes and lips. He had a habit of smiling crookedly, and it only added to his attractiveness. Jamie managed a few short answers, always stuttering and his fingers always gravitating to the back of his neck.

Pippa and Monty shared looks with each other, _obvious _looks, whenever Jack and Jamie spoke together. Jamie slowly opened up to Jack, and within three weeks he was comfortable enough to speak somewhat naturally. He still stuttered sometimes, still blushed when Jack laughed and patted his knee, and still found himself lost in the chocolate seas of Jack's eyes. He would never find his way out.

And Jack wouldn't let him.

Not during the day when Jamie ran into Jack at the park.

#

It was a warm Sunday morning, a rarity in Burgess during the spring. It usually was chilly, so Jamie took advantage of the strange weather. He threw on sweats, grabbed his iPod, and left with an unheard goodbye to his sleeping mom and sister.

He pulled into the nearly empty parking lot of Thaddeus Park. There was a beat up white truck several spaces away from Jamie's car. Probably a maintenance worker or a father and a son who came to play sports. Jamie hoped they'd leave soon; it was always the best when he had the park to himself. There were no dogs to worry about avoiding, no screaming kids to give him headaches, no attractive people to intimidate him, and no Pippa or Monty to talk about how "interested" Jack was in Jamie.

They had no idea, Jamie thought. Jack was straight, interested in girls, and perfect. Perfect people didn't end up with people like Jamie. Perfect people ended up with models who had brains _and_ cash _and _confidence. Jamie only had the brains – and the wrong gender.

He turned his iPod onto a medium volume and set off at a fast jog. Halfway through the park's trail he noticed how all his songs were about love, and in some cases unrequited love. He switched to FM and sacrificed quality and commercial-free breaks for a love-free playlist. Unfortunately, Taylor Swift came on with "Love Story" and Jamie's intense hatred for her songs burned through him. He turned it off and tossed it into his car after finishing his first lap.

He slammed his door shut just as a hand touched his shoulder.

He whirled around, falling against his car.

"Shit. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Jack laughed.

Jamie's shoulder burned with the heat of Jack's touch, as if he his hand was still there. Jamie rubbed absently at it. "I-it's okay. What are you doing here?"

"Jogging." Jack gestured to his outfit.

'_Oh shit he's hot,' _Jamie thought. It was similar to his first thought when he saw Pippa leading Jack to their lunch spot. The only difference between then and now was that his thoughts were faster now. They changed from one thing to another – quickly – and Jamie had to do something quick before his thoughts went somewhere inappropriate for the time being.

Jack dressed like Sophie before she went to soccer practice. His shorts were obscenely short for a boy and his shirt was tight, tight and _wet_ all over. His hair half wet too and his face sweaty, but beautifully sweaty. It didn't make sense to him, but Pippa would find something logical in it; she was the romance expert in Jamie's group. Monty was the scientific guy so he'd find a scientific reason for Jamie's sudden desire to lick the trail of sweat off Jack's neck and it was too late to change his thoughts because they already went _there _and Jamie was now thinking of other things among other things and these other things were _not_ PG13 or even TV14. Not even parental guidance. More like NC17: Land of No Return.

"I've been meaning to ask if you have… I don't know how to put this without sound ignorant, so forgive me if I insult you. I've been meaning to ask if you have a social condition or something."

"Excuse me?" Jamie barked a laugh unexpectedly. He slapped a hand over his mouth and looked away.

Jack stepped back, and Jamie suddenly felt like he'd been given a room full of fresh air to breath. He slouched against his car and tried not to look directly into Jack's eyes or another part of his body that wasn't appropriate. (God how hard that was.)

"Are you shy or really uncomfortable with talking? I get that feeling when I talk to you sometimes. I didn't think asking you in front of Pippa and Monty would be appropriate so I was waiting for a time to get you alone…"

A time to get Jamie alone…

Jamie sighed. How he wished that time would be used for something else.

"I'm sorry if I offended you. I just…don't want to make you uncomfortable. And it looks like you are now. You're red and you're looking away. Do you want me to leave? I can…go if you want."

"N-no. Don't go. I…_want _to talk to you. I just… I'm not good at socializing with people I don't really know."

"I want to be your friend," Jack blurted, and as if that was embarrassing to admit out loud, he blushed and bit his lip. "Do you think we can get to know each other better? Because I keep getting the feeling you don't want a lot to deal with me."

"I thought we were getting somewhere," Jamie said. "Last week we were talking better."

Jack nodded. They were silent until a horn blared at them. A red sports car pulled sharply into the lot, pulling up perpendicular to the parking lines.

"Like my parking job?" A cheerleader Jamie recognized only from the rainbow streaks in her hair popped out of her ride. "I think it's perfect!" She laughed and skipped to Jack. He laughed and hugged her, squeezing her tightly.

"Hey Thiana! You're supposed to park _in _the spot."

"I know, I know. I'm not stupid." She looked at Jamie as if only realizing his presence for the first time. "You're Jamie right? The artist?"

"U-uh yeah." Jamie felt around his back for the door handle.

Thiana nodded and then grinned at Jack, something passing between their gazes. Thiana was probably Jack's girlfriend. They looked cute together, acted comfortable around each other, and the way they held each other looked familiar, as if they'd been holding each other for many times before.

She was probably the cheerleader Jack always looked at during lunch. It made sense now. The pieces came together in a perfect fit, and it hurt. Jamie had started to believe in a chance of getting closer to Jack, but what was the point the closest he could get to him was as a friend?

"Did you bring your stuff? Can't run in that outfit," Jack was saying, and Jamie figured they were on a jogging date or whatever the hell perfect couples did on Sunday mornings.

"Of course. I'll go change." She kissed Jack's cheek, and Jamie popped open his door.

"Bye. See you Monday," he said, doubting that Jack heard him. He stomped on the gas and the car jerked back, tires skidding. He wished he could get pleasure from Jack and Thiana's little jumps of shock and their frightened faces. All he got was a burning pain in his eyes.

#

The drive home was a blur of tears and stoplights. His mom and Sophie were still sleeping when he arrived. He didn't want to deal with them after getting his heart torn apart – for the dumbest reason – so he quietly locked the door. He shut his bedroom door quietly and flopped onto his bed.

He tried to doze off, but he was sweaty and sore from his run and the strain of his emotions. He had no motivation to shower or change, only to lay face down on his bed and silently cry.

Eventually he crawled into the bathroom and lazed away in the bathtub, watching the bubbles slowly pop until only a thin layer of frizzy white foam remained.

"Jamie!" Sophie pounded on the bathroom door.

Jamie flailed out of his daze and splashed water out of the tub. "What?" He snapped.

"This guy named Jack is here. He says he wants to apologize."

#

Jamie checked then double checked his hair. He took his time and hoped that Jack would grow impatient and leave.

He was blow drying his hair, something he rarely did, when Jack stepped in. Jamie almost dropped the hairdryer in the sink.

Jack looked tired – and guilty – as he pulled the plug out. "I want to talk."

"I'm still drying my hair."

"It's dry already." To prove his point, Jack ran his fingers through Jamie's dry locks. "See? You're burning it."

"Whatever." Jamie bundled the dryer's cable and then shoved it carelessly in its drawer.

"I'm not dating Thiana. She's just a friend."

It was a relief, but Jamie still felt no better. He still felt like he was weighed down by his emotions – albeit, less than before.

"Can we go out? Around the block?" Jack pointed at the open doorway and held a hand to his ear, leaning towards it as if to eavesdrop. "Your sister," he mouthed.

"Sure. Just let me get my shoes on…"

#

It was quiet outside and very few cars drove past. None of them honked. Jamie wasn't sure why he expected it, but after the Jack/Thiana Affection Show, Jamie loathed the sound.

"How'd you find my address?" Jamie asked. Jack couldn't have found his address in the directory; Jamie never supplied it to the school, and new students typically didn't get one.

"Pippa gave it to me."

Well that made sense. Pippa definitely would give any information about Jamie out if it helped him with his social life – or love life. The latter of which he was lacking and former in need of revival. The last time Jamie had gone out with Monty or Pippa was weekends ago.

"Pippa also told me that you like me."

"I'm going back." Jamie turned about, heart beating faster and faster – why wasn't it exploding yet? He wished it would blow to slivers of flesh and blood pulp so Jack would get distracted by the gore and Jamie could run all the way home – which was only a few houses away. Jamie hadn't passed the second house when Jack grabbed his wrist. Now his heart stopped, and his ears started pounding instead.

Jack manhandled him so that were facing, and Jamie couldn't get his legs to work. Jack's eyes were focused on him as if he was the single most important thing in the world right now. Jamie couldn't tell what was beyond the look, past Jack's eyes and into his soul; Jamie was never the best at reading emotions. Jack's was beyond confusing, especially since when Jamie tried to look through the seas of brown, he kept getting sucked into a whirlpool.

Jamie couldn't move his gaze away, and he couldn't control his body any more than he could in his sleep.

"Is it true?"

Well that was cliché. Jamie thought back to all the romances he'd read over the summer, and before that. Even the shitty ones online that were written by twelve year old kids. He could think of over a dozen scenes where that stupid question was asked. "Is it true?" Well duh! If Pippa said it, Jack could bet his life on it.

Jamie nodded, and then braced his heart for impact. Jack would reject him, say that he was straight but that Jamie was a nice boy and someday he would find someone else – but not Jack. And he didn't know how wrong he would be. Jack didn't know how much Jamie believed that he was doomed to a life of loneliness with the company of cats and maybe dogs. And a fish so he could watch the cats bat it and he could get pleasure from watching someone else get hurt for once.

"Really?" Jack stepped back, holding Jamie out at arm's reach. "Seriously?"

"Y-yeah. And if you're going to make fun of me –" but Jamie could say no more because Jack's lips were on his and his heart started beating fast again.

#

Jack came over the next Friday afternoon. After a week of holding hands at school and getting plenty of congrats from both students and teachers alike, Jamie wanted some private time. They spent the afternoon blasting zombies and bashing their heads with bats on video games, watching zombie movies, and talking about zombies. It was a zombie day, as Jack called it. They decided for Saturday to be a vampire day, and Sunday a ghost day.

They spent the weekend watching themed movies, researching the possibility of both on the internet, and even going to the library to browse through sci-fi and paranormal books. (Jamie personally enjoyed the library the most; they would see how long they could make out in the deepest book aisle before someone walked in on them.)

Through their time together Jamie learned that Jack had an intense interest in the unknown. It wasn't their only common interest though. He learned throughout the next week that Jack had a skill for juggling soccer balls. They went to the park, just the two of them, and played one-on-one, gaining attention from younger kids and parents. Jack taught Jamie how to juggle more efficiently with tricks of balancing and foot positioning. Jamie taught Jack in turn how to improve his footwork. The next day they went to a soccer park for a game on turf, and then to an indoor field where they made out under the bleachers until a janitor shooed them out.

Jamie tried to spend time with Monty and Pippa, but Jack was too demanding. Jamie _needed_ to be with Jack. On the days they didn't hang out as much as they could, Jamie could feel the gaping hole that Jack's presence always filled. It was so large that not even time with Monty and Pippa could fill half of it. Jamie felt guilty for pushing his friends aside for Jack, but hanging out during the school hours was enough for him. He didn't know if they wanted more; they always seemed happy to see Jack and Jamie holding hands during lunch and sharing quick kisses before any school staff could spot them.

Jack started driving Jamie home during their third week together, but Jamie always got home thirty minutes later than he usually did; they spent the next thirty minutes after school making out in Jack's truck.

(Jack was a flexible kisser. Literally because he could fold his body over the driving counsel in the weirdest ways to reach Jamie's lips. Metaphorically because his kissing style was always changing. One day he'd be coaxing sounds from Jamie with gentle tugs on of his lip and the next day he'd be declaring war on Jamie's body with borderline painful bites and nips. Jamie would never admit it to anyone but Jack, but he loved how rough it got. He loved it when Jack pinned his arms down and when Jack bit his lip until it sometimes bled.)

(Jamie once tried to dominate Jack, but gave up after Jack burst into laughter at his effort.)

But Jamie wanted more. He was a hormonal teenage boy anyway. No one could blame him for wanting to go further, wanting to experience more of what a relationship meant.

He saw the opportunity when his mother went on an art exhibition trip. Sophie was staying with a friend's family, and Jamie had the house to himself. When he heard the news he locked himself in his room and danced for five minutes straight, an amazing thing because Jamie Bennett was _not _a dancer.

So he phoned Jack and asked if he wanted to spend that night together. Jack was speechless, and when Jamie was starting to fear rejection, Jack accepted with much enthusiasm.

#

The week passed by slowly, and when Saturday came and his mother and Sophie were gone, Jamie texted Jack the okay.

Thirty minutes later they were cuddled on the couch, watching the original _Red Dawn _movie. For the first half of the movie they laughed at the terrible visual effects and the overall cheesiness of the plot. The second half of the movie was when Jamie started getting handsy.

During an "emotional" scene between the surviving characters, Jamie felt down Jack's arm, fingering the thin material of his long sleeve and then moving to the hem. Jack looked down him just as his hand slipped up Jack's shirt. He could feel Jack's skin prickle and his breathing slowing down.

He walked his hand to Jack's chest and felt the rapid beat, counting them out until Jack kissed him.

"You think I don't know why you invited me here?" Jack asked lowly, his breath warm against the shell of Jamie's ear. Jamie shivered and shook his head. He slipped his hand down Jack's chest until he bumped into Jack's waistband. He dropped his hand on Jack's groin. "Jamie," Jack exhaled. "How far?"

"I want it all," Jamie said, and then, "Oh my gosh that was so cheesy. How about I just say," he maneuvered himself onto Jack's lap and pressed his lips to Jack's ear, "I want s-e-x."

Jack trembled and his hands came to rest on the small of Jamie's back. "We haven't talked about this yet. Are you sure?"

Jamie sat back to take in Jack's blown pupils and rosy cheeks. "Then let's stick to hands."

"Stick" and "hands" each got a tremble from Jack.

"Tell me if you want to stop," was the last Jack said before he pulled Jamie in and leaned forward at the same time.

The sounds of gunfire were drowned out and all Jamie could hear was the drum-like beat of his heart and the quiet sounds of his lips moving against Jack's.

Jack swiped the remote off the couch and rolled Jamie onto his back, straddling him with the glint in his eyes that always came before he went down with zeal on Jamie.

His hands roamed everywhere, rucking up Jamie's shirt and peeling off his socks.

It was like their past make outs, but this felt different. They were heading somewhere further down the road, past their furthest check point and beyond that.

Jack bit Jamie's belly, coaxing a sharp gasp, and then ran his mouth up and up, his hands brushing over Jamie's flannel pajama pants before slipping them down. After a little struggle, Jack managed to rid Jamie completely of them.

The air on his exposed legs ran up his boxer sleeves and seemed to reach into his very core. He only managed to unbutton Jack's jeans before his hands shook too much that he couldn't steady them. Jack wormed out of his pants, laughing into Jaime's mouth.

"Sorry," Jamie said, and he wound his fingers in Jack's thick brown hair, tugging and gasping Jack pressed a thigh into his groin. He moaned – loud, and Jack commented on it, his voice raspy.

"S-shut up." Jamie ground into Jack's thigh and moaned at the hardness of it all. He kicked a leg over Jack's waist and Jack ground in at a deeper angle.

Jamie smashed their mouths together and drew Jack's tongue into his mouth. He bit and in response Jack slid a hand up his thigh and under his boxers. He brushed against Jamie's cock.

"_Shit!_" Jamie seized Jack's hand and shoved it deep in his boxers, eyes rolling back. "Keep t-touching."

"So demanding," Jack ground out between his teeth as he worked Jamie slow, working out soft moans.

It ended as quickly as it started. The door unlocked and Jamie nearly head-butted Jack's face as he sat up.

"I forgot my phone charg…er." Jamie's mother stood in the entrance hall, staring unblinking at them.

There wasn't anything they could do with their pants on the ground and the flush that had yet to fade from both their faces – and bodies.

"U-um. Hi Mrs. Bennett. I'm dating your son," Jack said.

#

Fifteen minutes later Jack and Jamie sat at the dining table, fully dressed and faces scrubbed clean. Across from them sat Mrs. Bennett.

"I have to leave soon, so I'll make this short but precise." Mrs. Bennett's smile put both Jack and Jamie at ease. "I understand that you both are eighteen years old. Under the law you are both responsible for your actions. So, as long as you understand that and don't do anything rash -"

"You're okay with it?" Jack blurted.

"You're adults. Legally you can do what you, but I ask that you take care with whatever you choose. As well, _please_ stick to your bedrooms. The couch is not for…certain things."

"So… Condoms and Jamie's bedroom is what you're asking?"

"Jack!" Jamie punched Jack's arm.

"Bottom drawer on the right." Mrs. Bennett winked at Jamie and then went to collect her phone charger.

"Did your mom just tell us to fuck?" Jack whispered eagerly, leaning out of his chair to look down the hallway. "Mrs. Bennett? Did you just-"

Jamie pinched Jack's thigh, making the boy shriek. The chair fell forward onto all four legs. "What was that for?" Jack rubbed his thigh and made a kicked puppy face.

"I think you got her blessing, but don't _push_ _it._" Jamie frowned. "I'm just wondering why she still has that stuff in her drawer…"

"Maybe she's saving it for you."

Jamie kicked Jack's foot and laughed.

Jack smiled. "What? I'm being serious. Maybe she really was saving it for you."

"Don't they expire quickly?"

"I don't know. Let's go find out. Mrs. Benn-"

"_Later!_" Jamie slapped a hand over Jack's mouth. "Let's just go out and walk off my humiliation. Please?"

"Fine. Then we're checking out the expiration date. I've always wondered how long those things last."

* * *

**A/N: **This was a prompt for Kat that I wrote weeks ago. I never posted it because I felt uncomfortable with the make out scene. But it's alright now.

I'm taking prompts for my 1st year tumblr aniversary special event. Send them over to my ffn inbox or on tumblr (before May 17). I'll take my favorite 7 prompts and post one a day for the week of May 26.


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